How do you pray the Rosary?

[twosweetgirls]

1. How and where do you normally pray the Rosary?

Anyplace I can! Usually, though, it’s in the car whenever I think of it, and every night while lying next to SweetGirlOne. She simply can’t–and won’t–fall asleep unless Mommy’s right there next to her praying the Rosary. I love how it ushers her into sleep.

2. Do you follow a set schedule or do you have a particular mystery that you tend to meditate on?

I try to go by the schedule set forth by the Church, but if I can’t remember what it is, I just choose a set of Mysteries and go from there.

3.Do you always offer intentions for praying the Rosary?

Always, yes. For the souls in Purgatory, for my immediate and extended families, for friends who need prayer, for the unborn, for the world, for priests, goodness the list goes on.

4.Are you expecting anything while or after you the Rosary?

Nope, I just know and have experienced the grace and peace that comes from praying it.

5.What are ways that help you stay focused while praying the the Rosary?

Sometimes my mind will wander, but I just recognize it and move back to thinking about the Mystery. Generally, other prayer concerns will pop into my head as I’m praying the Rosary, and that’s a sure way to help me stay focused.

6. Have you personally had any unique experiences while praying the Rosary?

Hmm, nothing “miraculous” or “supernatural” or anything like that. But while first learning to pray the Rosary, I had a very distinct impression of the Blessed Mother sitting right next to me, helping me meditate on Her Son Jesus and encouraging me to focus on Him. It wasn’t anything “mystical” or “out of the ordinary”–it was very logical. To this moment I remember it.

7.What got you started into praying the Rosary?

When I was going through RCIA two years ago. I had the biggest obstacle with the Blessed Mother, and when I first attempted to pray the Rosary, I penned three prayers–to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit–to pray instead of the Hail Mary because I just wasn’t comfortable with it. Yet, that is. As mentioned above, the Blessed Mother very gently and logically helped me with that.

8.What is the biggest factor that keeps you from praying the Rosary?

Life with TwoSweetGirls!

9.Has the Rosary brought you closer to Jesus Christ?

Gracious sake, in every way imaginable. When I realized what a TREASURE and POWER the Rosary is, I was like “geeze, why in my 36 years as a Protestant have I never learned this?? Oh yeah, Protestants don’t pray in or believe the Rosary” (that was my thinking). I’m so much closer in my walk with Jesus by means of the Rosary, it really defies description sometimes.

10.How can you help spread the love of Rosary devotion to other Catholics?

I have a free Rosary ministry in our local parishes. I make one-decade Rosaries and give them away. I bet I’ve made and given away thousands by now, to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Donations from ministry supporters help tremendously, and one couple has their seminarians bring me crucifixes and medals from Rome.

11. last question. What type of Rosary do you use? Wood beads,glass,stones,plastic…etc?

While praying with SweetGirlOne at bedtime, I have a few one-decades by the bedside. While in Church, especially at Adoration, I use the Rosary I made for myself (sterling silver, Swarovski crystal and semi-precious stone).

 

[b_justb]

1. How and where do you normally pray the Rosary?
   In the mornings on my way to work Mon - Fri
2. Do you follow a set schedule or do you have a particular mystery that you tend to meditate on?
   Yes. Mon – Glorious Mysteries Tues – Intentions Day Wed –Joyful Mysteries Thurs – Luminous Mysteries Fri – Sorrowful Mysteries

3.Do you always offer intentions for praying the Rosary?
On Tuesdays, yes.

1. Are you expecting anything while or after you pray the Rosary?
   No. “Work with no thought of gain.”
2. What are ways that help you stay focused while praying the Rosary?
   If my mind wanders I just gently bring it back to center.
3. Have you personally had any unique experiences while praying the Rosary?
   Yes. I have had what I consider great personal spiritual insights while praying the Rosary numerous times.
4. What got you started into praying the Rosary?
   The whole becoming Catholic as an adult thing
5. What is the biggest factor that keeps you from praying the Rosary?
   Only my own stupidity and laziness when I miss sometimes.
6. Has the Rosary brought you closer to Jesus Christ?
   Without a doubt.
7. How can you help spread the love of Rosary devotion to other Catholics?
   I strongly encourage it with my Catholic friends.

 

[teadough]

 

[Conservative]

I’m ashamed to say I don’t say the Rosary as Our Lady requested or as often as I should. I will say chaplets that are shorter but I lose concentration with the Rosary…sad, isn’t it?

1. How and where do you normally pray the Rosary?
2. Do you follow a set schedule or do you have a particular mystery that you tend to meditate on? No
   3.Do you always offer intentions for praying the Rosary? Years ago, I said that all my Rosaries would be for peace.
   4.Are you expecting anything while or after you the Rosary? No. I leave it to God.
   5.What are ways that help you stay focused while praying the the Rosary? ??? I just can’t concentrate.
3. Have you personally had any unique experiences while praying the Rosary? Several weeks ago, I’d wanted to say Chaplet of Divine Mercy at my father’s deathbed but I don’t know prayers by heart, and didn’t think I had reading glasses w/me to read my pamphlet. I decided on the Rosary. It was a Tuesday (Sorrowful mysteries). I realized in reading your question, that my father died about the end of the Third Mystery - “Jesus Dies on the Cross”.
   7.What got you started into praying the Rosary? Taught as a child.
   8.What is the biggest factor that keeps you from praying the Rosary? Too many distractions. Lack of motivation and/or concentration, exhaustion. Maybe not trying hard enough.
   9.Has the Rosary brought you closer to Jesus Christ? I may not see it but only God knows.
   10.How can you help spread the love of Rosary devotion to other Catholics. ???
4. What type of Rosary do you use? Wood beads,glass,stones,plastic. Various. If I’m in Church, whatever is in my purse - (plastic)pearl or stones. But at home I use olive wood ones from the Holy Land.

 

[sarah_anne_628]

What is meant by “offering intentions?”

I am a new Catholic, so right now I am using my rosary to help me memorize prayers and so forth. I try to find a prayer that helps me think of the mystery and/or virtue…and I usually have the prayer down pat by the time I’m done.

I also use my rosary beads to pray for specific people-instead of a mystery, I will announce the name of the person I wish to pray for, and if I know what it is, their specific prayer request. Usually I just say the Hail Mary after that…but sometimes I will use a prayer that is fitting to their needs (such as for the sick).

I don’t know if this is bad or wrong…but customizing how the beads are used is really helping me in my prayer life. Usually by the time I am done saying either the traditional rosary, or one of my customized forms…I feel ready for a spontaneous, heartfelt prayer. The repition and meditation just really helps clear my head and prepare my heart to really open up to God.

 

[teadough]

What is meant by “offering intentions?”

I am a new Catholic, so right now I am using my rosary to help me memorize prayers and so forth. I try to find a prayer that helps me think of the mystery and/or virtue…and I usually have the prayer down pat by the time I’m done.

I also use my rosary beads to pray for specific people-instead of a mystery, I will announce the name of the person I wish to pray for, and if I know what it is, their specific prayer request. Usually I just say the Hail Mary after that…but sometimes I will use a prayer that is fitting to their needs (such as for the sick).

I don’t know if this is bad or wrong…but customizing how the beads are used is really helping me in my prayer life. Usually by the time I am done saying either the traditional rosary, or one of my customized forms…I feel ready for a spontaneous, heartfelt prayer. The repition and meditation just really helps clear my head and prepare my heart to really open up to God.

Thanks for adding to this thread. Actually,you answered your own question in regards to intentions when you stated that you offered prayers to people. I normally do this at the beginning of the Rosary but I have had plenty of times where a random person has crossed my mind while praying the Rosary and I may pause and pray for them. Sometimes the mystery you are own may somehow reflect what it going on in either yours or their life.

I don’t thing you are doing anything wrong for the simple fact that your heart is obviously in the right place. I have been praying the Rosary for about 10 months and I have a hard time remembering things. It is one of those practices where you never finish. Meditation can only get better. Sometimes that might mean many set backs.

YOu said it all when you said “The repition and meditation just really helps clear my head and prepare my heart to really open up to God”. That was what I like so much about the Rosary. I felt as if it was such a great tool for me to get out of “myself” for a bit. I had not even realized the aspect of it bringing me closer to Jesus when I first started praying the Rosary.

I mentioned to someone yesterday about how this past Tuesday was such an emotional time when I prayed the Rosary. As i was meditating on Jesus getting scourged I saw myself beating Him. When I got to the part where He was wearing the crown of thorns,I saw myself pointing and laughing at Him. This disturbed me greatly at first but then I realized who I was before I met Him and I thanked Him for where I am now.

When Praying the Rosary we can watch the life of Jesus through the eyes of His Mother,His Apostles(even the betrayer),God,and us. It’s crazy like that:thumbsup:

 

[HOPEFUL_IN_UK]

**

1. How and where do you normally pray the Rosary?**

Usually at home, in my bedroom if it’s during the day. Sometimes in the car, parked at a scenic overlook, if the baby is napping in his car seat.

2. Do you follow a set schedule or do you have a particular mystery that you tend to meditate on?

I follow the standard schedule of the four sets of mysteries.

3.Do you always offer intentions for praying the Rosary?

I keep all my intentions written down in my prayer journal. I just say, “For all my intentions” meaning everything on my list. Some of those things are constant, and some of them change according to circumstances.
**
4.Are you expecting anything while or after you the Rosary?**

No, not really.

5.What are ways that help you stay focused while praying the the Rosary?

I have some little pamphlets that contain the mysteries. Some of them have written meditations on each mystery. Some have little thoughts of verses for each of the ten beads of the mystery. They all have pictures. I’ll read or look at something like that.
**
6. Have you personally had any unique experiences while praying the Rosary?**

Not that I can remember. Sometimes, if something is really troubling me, I won’t concentrate on the mysteries and I’ll just think about what is upsetting to me. I’ve noticed that it can help me figure out what to do.

**
7.What got you started into praying the Rosary?**

I was just curious about it. This was before I converted. I originally learned how with a program on my Palm Pilot. It was awesome! You just had to tap “Next bead” and there were images and meditations and all the prayers on it. It’s how I learned.

8.What is the biggest factor that keeps you from praying the Rosary?

Not having a regular schedule. I have to be really committed to praying it every day or else it won’t happen at all.

9.Has the Rosary brought you closer to Jesus Christ?

Yes, I think it has. I think it had a lot to do with my becoming Catholic in the first place.

**
10.How can you help spread the love of Rosary devotion to other Catholics. **

Well, I don’t, really. If I think someone might like one, or be curious, I’ll give them one. I know someone who is in the process of converting and I bought her a rosary when I was in Rome this winter. When I was a receptionist at a doctor’s office a couple of years ago, this man came in for regular appointments and he mentioned being drawn to Catholicism. I think he was looking into it - I think he watched EWTN, etc. I gave him a rosary the next time he came in.

**
11. last question. What type of Rosary do you use? Wood beads,glass,stones,plastic…ets**

I have a bunch of rosaries. I tend to use glass bead rosaries, but I also have several plastic ones. Somebody used to leave plastic rosaries in the Narthex of Cincinnati’s Cathedral. They were really cool - made with really brightly-coloured beads. I still have one of those and it stays in my pocket for when I need it. I keep another cheap plastic one in the glovebox of the car. At home, I will use a pretty glass one or a cloisonne one I bought in Rome.

 

[Crepusculum]

Hi, this is all still quite new to me, but will try to answer your questions as best I can:

1. How and where do you normally pray the Rosary?

My morning walk to work allows for 2 decades of the rosary, 3 if I tarry. Whenever I’m in the cathedral I usually nip into the Scottish side chapel (it is usually the most quiet) and say a full 5 decades. I try to say the rosary at home daily also, but do not always succeed.

1. Do you follow a set schedule or do you have a particular mystery that you tend to meditate on?

As this is new to me, I only have the joyful and sorrowful mysteries memorised, but if I have my little catechism with me, I look up the others and say whichever mysteries are allocated for that day of the week. I assumed this is what you meant, but will answer also if you meant which individual mystery I find most thought provoking - it is The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. I don’t know, I just find that so amazing, we expect Jesus to be aware of John’s presence from their mothers’ wombs, but they both leapt! John was endowed by God an understanding of the world outside while still inside. If that is possible before birth, how could any Christian think that the saints are unaware of this world after death?

3.Do you always offer intentions for praying the Rosary?

Yes, my friend assigns a cousin to each Hail Mary, but my family is not that large I usually just put an intentions theme to each decade and ponder it as I go. For instance, my morning two decade walk passes by two churches of a non-apostolic nature, so I offer my intentions to their congregation, that the churches may be brought back into communion with Rome.

4.Are you expecting anything while or after you the Rosary?

Not sure what you mean by expectations, but I try not to be demanding with my prayers - it is His will that shall be done, after all.

5.What are ways that help you stay focused while praying the the Rosary?

I have to say, so far I’ve been very lucky and not had a problem concentrating during the rosary. I know some people who get so many distractions they wonder if ahem someone is interfering. I feel that way at mass, but not during the rosary.

1. Have you personally had any unique experiences while praying the Rosary?

Well there was this one time while I was waiting for my plane to take off the captain said there was some sort of problem with the weather and that we may experience problems, so I got my rosary & bible out and started doing 5 decades of the glorious mysteries. It was right on the 4th mystery - Assumption of Mary into Heaven - that the plane took off with a rushing, exhilirating motion, and I suddenly pictured vividly what Mary and Elijah experienced. That was a great moment, and the rest of the flight was plain sailing if you’ll pardon the pun.

7.What got you started into praying the Rosary?

Being given a friend’s rosary that meant a lot to him. I’ve never looked back.

8.What is the biggest factor that keeps you from praying the Rosary?

This concept that we are so busy that we do not have time - in most cases we do, we just choose to spend it unwisely.

9.Has the Rosary brought you closer to Jesus Christ?

Most certainly - the sorrowful mysteries usually get me dwelling on just how much He went through for us and reminds me if He can do it voluntarily, I can step up to the plate when challenged.

10.How can you help spread the love of Rosary devotion to other Catholics.

That’s the golden question - I don’t know the answer, but I’m trying to get a young woman praying her mum’s rosary at the moment, will let you know how that goes in terms of the obstacles that crop up.

1. last question. What type of Rosary do you use? Wood beads,glass,stones,plastic…ets

I have a stone rosary with 2000 Jubilee crucifix and a Padre Pio centrepiece. Some day I’d love to recreate my great grandmother’s rosary, with the pearl beads and silver cross, but I never saw it and my mum doesn’t remember the centrepiece. I’d also like to try a wooden beaded one - something warm, like bubinga, would be nice.

 

[LilyM]

1. How and where do you normally pray the Rosary?

3 different times. The first is while walking or commuting on the train. I have a few different audio CDs on the mp3 player and a small and discreet 1-decade rosary for such situations. Second is in church before or after mass. Third is in bed either at night or in the morning - especially if i can’t sleep. I recently (thanks Zooey ) received a twine Rosary which is ideal for this circumstance.

2. Do you follow a set schedule or do you have a particular mystery that you tend to meditate on? I tend to stick to the order the mysteries are set in - Joyful, Luminous (occasionally, not always), Sorrowful, Glorious. I may say any amount from just one or two decades to two sets of five mysteries on any given day, depends on how much time I have. I tend to just pick up where I left off the day before.

3.Do you always offer intentions for praying the Rosary? Absolutely.

4.Are you expecting anything while or after you the Rosary? Apart from a greater sense of peace, calm and connectedness with God? Not really. Certainly I’m hoping that my prayers are pleasing to Him and Our Lady.

5.What are ways that help you stay focused while praying the the Rosary? The audio rosaries I use (one being scriptural) are great, I like the feeling of praying alongside others who aren’t in the same room even.

I found a list some time ago that mentioned ‘fruits’ or ‘virtues’ associated with each particular mystery. As in the fruit for the Annunciation is humility, since Mary was so humble she was worried by the Angel’s greeting. The Visitation is love of neighbour, since Mary rushed off to help Elizabeth. The Birth of Jesus is poverty, since He chose to be born into poverty, and so on.

If I am super-distracted, I find it helpful just to meditate on these particular fruits - how the mystery reveals them and perhaps how I can and should develop and express them in my own life.

6. Have you personally had any unique experiences while praying the Rosary? Everyone does. If you mean anything in the way of visions, locutions, out-of-body experiences, then no.

7.What got you started into praying the Rosary? Have done since forever. Even during the years that I was away from the Church, I would still pray the Rosary every so often when I felt moved to.

8.What is the biggest factor that keeps you from praying the Rosary? I’m somewhat lazy and somewhat easily distracted and easily tired.

9.Has the Rosary brought you closer to Jesus Christ? Absolutely - meditating on the events of His life could hardly do otherwise.

10.How can you help spread the love of Rosary devotion to other Catholics. By becoming more devoted to it myself, for starters

**11. last question. What type of Rosary do you use? Wood beads,glass,stones,plastic…ets. **

I’m a bit of a rosary collector, so most of the above. Not to mention nature’s own Rosary - counting on the fingers! My favourites are a wooden one which was a souvenir of a Papal visit JP2 made to Australia back in '86, a twine Rosary and chotki, and a little one-decade one with pearl beads. The most unusual one would be my rosary ring (a proper ring, can be worn on the finger, with ten bumps around its edge for the Hail Marys and a cross in the centre.)

 

[sarah_anne_628]

Thanks for adding to this thread. Actually,you answered your own question in regards to intentions when you stated that you offered prayers to people. I normally do this at the beginning of the Rosary but I have had plenty of times where a random person has crossed my mind while praying the Rosary and I may pause and pray for them. Sometimes the mystery you are own may somehow reflect what it going on in either yours or their life.

I don’t thing you are doing anything wrong for the simple fact that your heart is obviously in the right place. I have been praying the Rosary for about 10 months and I have a hard time remembering things. It is one of those practices where you never finish. Meditation can only get better. Sometimes that might mean many set backs.

YOu said it all when you said “The repition and meditation just really helps clear my head and prepare my heart to really open up to God”. That was what I like so much about the Rosary. I felt as if it was such a great tool for me to get out of “myself” for a bit. I had not even realized the aspect of it bringing me closer to Jesus when I first started praying the Rosary.

I mentioned to someone yesterday about how this past Tuesday was such an emotional time when I prayed the Rosary. As i was meditating on Jesus getting scourged I saw myself beating Him. When I got to the part where He was wearing the crown of thorns,I saw myself pointing and laughing at Him. This disturbed me greatly at first but then I realized who I was before I met Him and I thanked Him for where I am now.

When Praying the Rosary we can watch the life of Jesus through the eyes of His Mother,His Apostles(even the betrayer),God,and us. It’s crazy like that:thumbsup:

Aha…well thank you for your reply. It’s nice to know that offering up petitions for other people is a normal practice.

I TRY to use my rosary beads 3 times a day…once for pondering the mysteries (and working on the prayers I need to memorize), once announcing the names of people I wish to prayer for and once with Divine Mercy. Usually I’m doing good just to get two times in during the day…I should work on that more!

Your story made me think of a pop song from the early or mid 90’s by a Christian artist…I couldn’t tell you his name. But I think it was called “The Hammer”. And I only remember two lines from the song and I don’t think they were back to back. But here they are.

“Who nailed him there…”
“I turned and saw the hammer in my hand.”

Obviously the artist was trying to illustrate that our sin is so great that we might as well have been the ones to crucify him.

 

[teadough]

One last thread bump